Burning on the Edge

Light flakes of snow fell from the sky, catching on Charlie’s eyelashes. She shook her head to brush them off and Niall let out a grunt from beside her. She looked at him, noticing the pink on his cheeks and nose. “You alright, Niall?” she asked.

“I can’t fucking believe it’s snowing,” he responded. “It’s bloody March, for crying out loud.”

Charlie giggled. “It’s still winter, so I guess it’s fair play.”

“Fair play, my arse. I am so tired of the cold. I’m tired of freezing my balls off every time I have to go out. Like right now.”

Well, he had a valid point. Bug had them trucking out, putting up flyers while he manned the store. So far, they’d gotten a few put in store windows, but not a lot of shops wanted a flyer with genital parts and sex shop advertisements in front of their establishments. Still, they had a handful of flyers left to put up, so they had to keep going. The minute they started to head out, it began to snow, making their task that much harder.

“It’s this fucking global warming, I tell ya,” Niall continued. “That’s what’s causing this untimely snow.”

“True,” Charlie replied. “But what’s really going on? You sound stressed.”

Niall sighed, looking apologetic. “Did I snap at you? I didn’t mean to.”

“No, no, you didn’t. It’s fine!” Charlie reassured quickly. “I’m just asking because you seem a little put off and I want to assume it’s not just because of the snow.”

“It’s not,” Niall admitted. “I haven’t been sleeping well. I’m lucky if I’m getting four hours every night. The only down time I have is during work and even then I’m worrying about a class or an exam.”

Charlie gasped. “Niall, that’s not good. You can’t do this to yourself over school.”

“Easy to say, hard to do.”

“Look, I get it. You want to do well, but you need to sleep. Getting rest is essential for things like school and work. I’ve told you so many times but I’ll say it again — please relax when you’re at work. We don’t have the hardest tasks, so it’s okay to let loose and chill a bit, you know?” She paused, wondering if she should even say the next part. Charlie didn’t want to offend Niall, but she was dying to say this. In the end, she bit the bullet. “Honestly...can I be honest with you right now?”

“Of course,” Niall said, easily.

“I think you need to chill the fuck out.”

“Excuse me?” Niall frowned, slowing down.

“You’re not a very chill person. I think you come across as someone who takes things too seriously. School is not life or death. You prevent it from living your life,” Charlie continued.

“Hey, I am plenty chill!” Niall argued with her. “And school’s important to me, so obviously I’m going to care about how I do or if I’m doing well or not.”

“I understand that, I really do. I think your major is super hard and can be really difficult to manage, but be a little reckless sometimes, why don’t you? Do you know how much I love being reckless?”

“Why does that not surprise me?” he playfully asked.

Charlie quickened her pace, feeling revved up by the conversation. She moved ahead, facing Niall and walking backward to look at him as she spoke. “I have school work that takes up a lot of my time, too, but I still go out. I still allow myself to live because for me, one bad grade isn’t the end of the world. And you can call me out for being horribly straightforward right now, but I think you’re brilliant. I don’t think you’re capable of a bad grade because of the effort you put in. But if you allowed yourself a fraction of a time to have fun, then it won’t hurt you.”

Niall stared at Charlie in shock. He met her strides, keeping up with her as she walked. There was a bounce in her step now. She felt energetic now that they were really talking.

“Charlie, I get why you think I’m such a boring guy, but I’m not like that usually. I can be fun,” he insisted.

“Then show me,” she challenged.

“What?”

“I know you can be fun, but for some reason, I haven’t seen that side of you yet, and I want to. Show me how fun you are.”

Niall guffawed. “How am I going to show you that now?”

Charlie thought for a moment, watching Niall as he met her gaze head on. Tufts of his blond hair peeked out from underneath his beanie and his blue scarf covered half of his face, leaving only his eyes and nose visible. He was bundled up, guarding himself from the harshness of the cold weather.

“I want you to strip down to your undergarments and run down this block.”

Niall raised his eyebrows, stifling out a laugh. “I’m sorry, but are you mental?”

“C’mon. It’ll be fun and reckless. Didn’t you just say that you’re a fun guy?”

“I am a fun guy, but I am not a stupid guy.”

“Niall,” Charlie pressed. “I dare you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Okay, Mr. Boring.”

Niall groaned, stopping his tracks, and unwinding the scarf from around his neck. Charlie threw her head back, letting out a peal of laughter. Niall continued to take off his beanie, mittens, jacket and then his clothes. She almost felt bad for him, wondering why she thought of this as her dare and not something that wouldn’t risk Niall getting pneumonia. Once Niall was down to his boxers, Charlie stated in disbelief. Snow dusted over his pale skin as he gave her a defiant look before sprinting down the block.

Charlie laughed out loud again, grabbing Niall’s clothes and running after him. By the time she reached him, he was shivering. She quickly handed him his clothes back. “Oh my God,” she said. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“I t-told you I’m a f-fun guy,” he stuttered, shivering as he pulled on his joggers.

“I believe you. Now, don’t you think that was fun?”

“No, I think you’re insane.”

She giggled, helping him put on his mittens after he got his jacket on. “God, you must be so cold.”

“I feel pain. I was cold when I was bundled up. While I was naked, it was just pain,” he huffed.

Charlie found herself laughing again, her stomach hurting and her eyes tearing. Niall looked at her and started laughing as well, eyes crinkling as he clutched his stomach. It was in that moment, while watching him laugh openly, that she felt something for him. She found herself wanting to reach over and pull him in close, ask him everything he’s thinking and whether or not she could kiss his rosy cheeks until they were warm again.



“I think I have a crush,” Charlie said to Harry.

Harry’s lips curled up into a soft smile. “That’s cute. Who does tiny Charlie have a crush on?”

Charlie laughed, falling back on her bed, her brown hair splaying over her pink sheets. Harry was spread across the end of her bed, his long legs dangling off the edge while she was beside the headboard. “I have a crush on Niall.”

“Work Niall?” Harry confirmed.

“Do we know any other Niall’s?”

“I have an Irish cousin from my mom’s side named Niall.”

“Okay, well I’m definitely not crushing on him, H.”

Harry let out a low whistle. “You’re crushing on your co-worker, then. Are there any rules against dating within the workplace?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so,” Charlie trailed off, trying to think back to any time that Bug might have mentioned coercing within the workplace being against the rules.

“If there isn’t, then you should go for it,” Harry said, breaking her train of thought. “Is he single?”

“Yes, as far as I know.”

“Perfect,” Harry said, sitting up on her bed. “Have you ever hung out with him outside of work? Other than that time you abandoned me over here with that rat.”

“Hey! I called you over to Niall and Zayn’s apartment that night for dinner.”

“Yes, but I had to suffer here for hours with Louis before you even called.”

“Not like I bound you to my apartment, H. But to answer your question, no, It was just that one time.”

“We need to change that,” Harry said. “Maybe he’s going to the party tonight.”

“The one at Chris Emerson’s house?” Charlie asked. “I don’t think he is, but I could text him and ask. A party would be the perfect place to get him to loosen up so I can flirt with him. At work, he’s always so into his textbooks to get any bit in. It’s hard to get a real conversation going, you know?”

“Absolutely. If the few hours you spend with him at work are spent with him reading and doing homework then you need to get him out of that element and somewhere else to put your moves on him. Text him while I get your outfit for tonight ready.”

Charlie grinned, clapping her hands together. “I love it when you dress me.”

“You need to start paying me for my fashion consultations,” Harry called as he walked over to her closet. Charlie started a message to Niall in the meantime. They’d gotten around to exchanging numbers, but had never texted each other outside of a simple hey, are you going to work? type of text. She typed in her message and read it over three times before sending.

hey niall! I was heading out to a party tonight and was wondering if you were going to it as well. almost everyone i know is going. chris emerson is having it.

While she waited for a response, she watched Harry go through several of her dresses, putting each one together with a pair of heels or boots. “What’s the vibe we’re going for?” Charlie asked.

“‘90s baby who wants to look cute and a little slutty,” Harry replied, grinning.

“Perfect. That’s exactly who I am.”

Just then, Charlie’s phone beeped with a new message and Harry flung himself on the bed. “What did he say?”

Typing in her pass code with quick, practiced strokes, she opened Niall’s text.

Hey! Yeah, Zayn has been asking me to go to the party with him. I guess I’ll see you there.

“Yes!” Harry cheered, jumping up off the bed. “Goal accomplished. Now we just need to get you all dolled up.”

Charlie couldn’t stop smiling as she climbed off her bed and met Harry by her closet. After an hour, they were finally done getting dressed. Charlie and Harry decided on her velvet, maroon dress with a matching choker and heels. She’d done her makeup with a smokey eye and a matte lipstick. She felt really good and pretty, so she pranced out of her room and stood in front of the telly where Liam and Louis were playing video games.

“How do I look, boys?” she asked, flashing an exaggerated pose. They were both dressed, ready to go, but neither glanced up for longer than a second.

“Great,” Liam said with a monotone voice.

“What he said,” Louis gestured his head toward his best friend.

Charlie pouted, clearly not happy with the reaction. She needed more. She wanted all eyes on her. If these boys couldn’t give her that, then who was to say Niall would? A moment later, Gwen walked out of her room, wearing a black dress of her own with her hair up in a ponytail.

“I think you look gorgeous, Charlie,” she smiled.

“Thank you, Gwen,” Charlie preened. She took a seat on the couch between the boys while Gwen put on her heels. Harry eventually walked out of Charlie’s bedroom with his hair styled up, sheer black shirt unbuttoned up to his stomach, and the tightest pair of jeans Charlie had ever seen.

“Alright, I’m ready,” he said. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

Louis looked up at him and his jaw dropped as fast as his controller, which landed right over his nob. “Fuck,” Louis winced, grabbing his crotch.

Harry frowned at him as he ran a hand through his chocolate colored curls. “Best get some ice on that,” he said before sauntering over to the front door, his boot heels clicking against the hardwood floor.



Charlie was on her second beer, sipping frequently from her red, plastic cup while her eyes scanned the rooftop of Chris Emerson’s house. The party had initially started downstairs in his flat, but moved upstairs as more people arrived. There were fairy lights hung up from one end to the other, tables set up with lots of alcohol, and radiators emanating heat for everyone that was there. Harry and Gwen stood beside Charlie, both leaning back against the railing as they talked about the latest season of Stranger Things.

While Charlie would normally jump into the conversation with them, throwing in her two cents, she was too busy staring at the door of the rooftop to see if Niall had shown up yet. Now that they were meeting outside of work, the possibilities seemed endless. She was so intrigued and infatuated with him.

Charlie finished up her beer, heading over to get some more. On the way, she saw Louis and Liam smoking a joint with a couple of guys, laughing about something rather funny from the way their heads were thrown back.

As she was refilling her cup, someone pressed a hand on her shoulder and Charlie startled, shifting back to see who it was only to be met by Niall’s blue-blue eyes. “Hi,” she breathed out, a big smile spreading across her face. “You made it.”

“Yeah, I did,” Niall said, grinning back. “We were downstairs and there’s, like, maybe five people there. I kept wondering where the noise was coming from and why it was so dead down there.”

Charlie found herself giggling, even though it wasn’t even that funny. “Yeah, some genius thought it’d be a good idea to have the party up on the rooftop after it’s just snowed three days ago.”

“It’s not too bad,” Niall shrugged. “I’m quite warm.”

She stepped back a bit to admire Niall’s outfit. He had on a tan bomber jacket with a plain white t-shirt underneath. His blue jeans were fitted and skinny and his tan, suede boots matched his jacket. It was simple, yet fashionable, and Charlie was once again blown away. Most guys wouldn’t put half a thought into what they wore.

“You going to stop checking me out any time soon?”

The question was said with a chuckle, Niall leaning in closer as he smiled, all teeth and rosy cheeks. Charlie narrowed her eyes at him, giving him the finger. “Grab yourself a beer and stop being cocky.”

“Alright, alright. I’m going to go find Zayn again. I’ll see you around?” he asked.

“Sure,” Charlie nodded.

She’d hoped that they’d spend the better part of the night together, but by the time she finished filling her cup, Niall was already talking to a group of people. She made her way back to Harry and Gwen, both of whom glanced over at her as she approached them.

“Where’d you get off to?” Gwen asked.

“Grabbed more beer and Niall’s here,” Charlie answered.

“Then why are you here?” Harry tittered. “Haven’t you been waiting all night for him to get here?”

“Because I don’t want to overwhelm him. He said he was going to see me around and started talking to some other people,” Charlie explained. “I don’t want to be annoying.”

Harry eyed her for a moment. “Charlie Holland, are you nervous?”

Gwen gasped while Charlie stared at both of them, dumbfounded.

Was she nervous? It was unlike her to be. Charlie had been confident since she left her mother’s womb. She was never the shy one when starting school, when making friends, or meeting boys. Everything she was faced with, she took on with her head held high and her tongue ready with a comeback. But right now, standing up on this rooftop, she had a schoolgirl crush that only seemed to amplify every time she was near the boy.

“I -- I don’t know. Niall’s -- he’s different. I can’t seem to get to him like I do with other boys,” Charlie explained, running a hand through her wind blown hair.

“How is he different?” Gwen inquired.

“He just is. I mean, I don’t want to sound cocky, but it’s not really difficult for me to draw people in. Somehow, Niall’s not all that -- drawn in.”

“You don’t think he feels the same way?” Harry asked her.

Charlie shrugged, her shoulders limp and heavy as she drank her beer.

 

At some point -- after two more cups of beer, “Bodak Yellow” playing seven times in a row, and Harry and Louis getting into an argument -- Charlie realized she was well past being drunk. She was dancing with Harry to a Chainsmokers song when she noticed Niall approaching her group with Zayn from the corner of her eye. He made eye contact with her, but then got pulled into a greeting with Louis, who gave Zayn a hug. Turned out, they did know each other. Liam and Gwen introduced themselves and, although Charlie also wanted to be included in on the conversation, she stayed rooted.

Putting her arm around Harry’s neck, she used him as a shield to peer over his shoulders and spy on Niall whilst still dancing. “You’re so creepy,” Harry whispered to her once he realized what she was doing. He still played along, putting an arm around her waist to move along to the beat.

“I want to kiss his face off,” Charlie said in reply.

“I support that,” Harry laughed, his green eyes twinkling.

“Okay, I’m going to go over and talk to him,” Charlie said, swaying backward and away from Harry. On the way, she stopped by the drinks station and saw someone pouring fireball shots for them and their friends. Before they could see, she grabbed one and chugged it, placing the cup back on the table and rushing back toward her friends.

It was then that she realized how fucked up she was. Her movements were not steady and she felt dizzy anytime she tried to walk too fast. Slowing down, she made her way to Niall. As she got closer, he must have sensed it because he turned around and smiled, waiting for her. Charlie quickened her pace and then walked straight into someone, spilling all the drinks in the process.

Alcohol dripped down Charlie’s bare legs, seeping through to her dress. She was such a fucking idiot, she thought. As soon as Niall smiled at her, she got complete tunnel vision and didn’t even bother looking to see where she was going. “Fuck,” she breathed out.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going?” snarled the guy who Charlie walked into. He was taller than her, glowering in anger. Charlie sized him up, regardless, and had a quick retort on the tip of her tongue when Niall stepped in. He placed a hand on the guy’s chest.

“Was a mistake, mate. Chill out, yeah?” Niall offered. He looked to Charlie, grabbing her by her hand and leading her toward the rooftop door before the guy could say anything else. Confused as to where they were going or what just happened, Charlie just followed Niall. She glanced back at the guy to see him still glaring at her. Her friends were all looking on as well and she couldn’t help but give them a smirk, winking before turning to face Niall.

“Where are we going?” Charlie asked.

“Downstairs,” Niall replied.

They stopped on the floor of Chris’ flat, walking through the open door where there was a couple, sitting and making out on the couch. Other than them, it was empty and quiet. Niall ignored the couple and at some point had let go of Charlie’s hand. She tried not to be put off by that and followed him as he scoured the two bedrooms within the flat. The first door turned out to be locked but the other one opened and he walked through.

“You going to tell me what we’re doing?” Charlie asked.

“Zayn knows Chris quite well and I’ve been around here before,” Niall said as he started opening the drawers of the dresser, going through clothes. Charlie walked over to him just as he pulled out a black t-shirt, baggy and long enough to pass as a dress for Charlie. She took it from him, giving a warm smile.

“Thanks.”

“No worries,” he said before pointing to the door on the other side of the room. “That’s the bathroom. You can change and clean up in there.”

The bathroom was dirty, stinky gym clothes on the floor and pee water still not flushed in the toilet bowl. Charlie wrinkled her nose and  turned on the faucet, making quick work of cleaning up the dried alcohol on her skin. She grabbed some toilet paper and dried up before slipping her dress over her head. Once she changed into the t-shirt, which did in fact reach right above her knees, she walked back out to find Niall sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

“Alright?” he asked.

Charlie nodded, ducking her head to hide her smile. “Thanks for this.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” Niall laughed softly. “Not for being a decent human, at least.”

She joined him on the bed, sitting beside him, and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “Are you having fun?”

Niall nodded. “It’s been a minute since I’ve come to a party. I had an exam earlier so I was revising all week. Getting to unwind and have a few beers felt good. How about you?”

“Yeah, I’m having fun,” Charlie replied, scooting just a smidge closer. Their thighs were touching and the specks of green in Niall’s blue-blue eyes were visible even in the dimly lit room. “Thought it’d be nice to see you outside of work.”

Niall chuckled. “Are you still on that? Still think I’m boring even though I ran in snow with just my boxers on for you?”

Charlie shook her quickly. “No, no. I don’t think that anymore. I think you’re so fun. I want to see more of that.” On the last word, Charlie let her eyes drift down to Niall’s lips. He caught the movement and leaned his head in a little.

“What kind of fun do you mean?” he whispered, though, it was obvious he knew.

He was into her. That much was clear now and Charlie smiled to herself, matching his movements until their faces were an inch apart. Now, it was just a matter of who would make the first move. Usually Charlie wouldn’t wait, but she needed one more push to tell her it was right.

When they kissed a moment later, she wasn’t sure who did it. It seemed like their heads just went in at the same time and all thoughts of being nervous and whether or not Niall wanted her went out the window. Niall’s lips were wet and hot, his hands curving around her waist. She had her arm around his neck, hand splayed over the back of his head to keep him in place as they kissed fast and hard. Slowly, she pulled him backward with her until they were lying down on the bed.

Once her head hit the back of the bed, the kiss slowed down. Niall’s tongue was soft, sliding along with Charlie’s as he let his hands drift down to the hem of the black t-shirt, dragging it up. Charlie curved into him more, letting him know that it was okay.

“Isn’t this fun?” she breathed, pulling away and wrapping a leg around Niall’s thigh.

“So much more fun than running in snow,” Niall agreed, leaning down and kissing her again. There was a playful bite this time, Charlie tugging on Niall’s hair while his hands roamed her body. Charlie was aware she was drunk, but it didn’t really seem to matter. She knew she’d want this even if she were sober and not at a party. Whether or not Niall felt the same wasn’t entirely clear, but she could taste the beer on his tongue.

His fingertips were slow in the way they explored the skin on her legs. He trailed them up toward her stomach and pulled away from the kiss to look at her. Now that Charlie wasn’t preoccupied, she was able to see that Niall’s hair was disheveled, lips bitten and raw from their kisses. He seemed mesmerized by her body, admiring it before glancing up at her. His pupils were blown, sending a shiver down Charlie’s spine, heat pooling between her legs.

“Can I?” he asked, his index finger tracing the hem of her purple pants.

She nodded, shifting her leg away from Niall and letting it fall open so that he had better access. His movements were careful as he tugged the pants down, letting them rest around her ankles. He slid two of his fingers expertly and Charlie gasped as her head fell back, eyes closing from how good it felt. Niall continued his movements, using the wetness to make his slide easier. Charlie couldn’t help the soft sounds escaping her lips, squirming under Niall’s touch. She then felt his mouth on her neck, kissing and sucking soft at first before biting down to break the skin.

Niall kept it to just one area, rubbing and pinching around her core, and that was enough to have Charlie close and ready to come. Her face and body felt hot, her moans growing slightly louder the more Niall increased his pressure. He was ravishing the skin of her neck, no doubt leaving several marks.

When Charlie came, she came loudly, and the first thing she thought of was if someone had heard. They were, after all, at a party and there wasn’t any noise within the flat. Anybody could have come down from the roof and heard her. But then she met Niall’s eyes and didn’t seem to care anymore. While was happy to be with him, she also wanted to return the favor. She captured his lips in a deep kiss, letting her own hands wander.

The tan jacket he had worn was pushed off, his belt was unbuckled, and his jeans were unbuttoned. Reaching into his pants, Charlie took him in her hands, trying not to smile at how hard he was. Niall hissed at the relief he felt once he touched her. Her hand was a bit dry, so she pulled him out of his jeans, rubbing over her tip and slit until some precome dribbled out. Using that as lubricant, Charlie pumped him in her hands. Niall broke their kiss, groaning at the sensation, eyes shut tight.

It only took a couple of pumps before he was coming, spilling onto her hands. Charlie kissed him through it, loving how Niall held her securely, hands in her hair. Their breaths were labored as they pulled apart, both lying back on the bed. Charlie thought of how she probably had to clean up again and hoped whoever’s shirt she took didn’t mind that she just did what she did while wearing it.

“We should go back up,” Niall said, breaking the peaceful silence.

Charlie turned her head to look at him. “Oh, okay.” She wasn’t sure what the outcome would be after everything, but she supposed going back to the party was a viable option. She sat up, grabbing her pants off the floor before heading into the bathroom. She quickly used the toilet, cleaned herself up, and when she came back out, Niall was gone.

It stung in a way Charlie didn’t expect it to. She’d thought they could at least go back up together. Grabbing her things, she made her way to the roof where the party was still raging. There was no sign of Niall, but she spotted Gwen and Liam, making out in a corner. Charlie approached them.

“Have you seen Harry?” she asked.

The couple pulled apart, glancing at her. “Hey,” Gwen said. “No, we haven’t. He disappeared some time ago.”

“Fuck,” Charlie breathed.

Gwen frowned. “You alright?”

Charlie thought about Niall again and shook her head no. “I’d really like to get home.”

Gwen looked at Liam, who was already moving away. “No problem,” he said, placing a protective arm around Charlie. “Let’s go.”

On the way out, Charlie couldn’t find Niall, and she was mad at herself for even trying to. He was the one who left and he didn’t even have the decency to tell her. That was on him.